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♪♫‘Cause therealkat is STRONG AS HELL.♪♫ BASIC GOALS - keep shit up to get faster and stronger! And now it’s time to lay down the rules! HEALTHY EATING! 21 Day Fix meal plan. I just… want to reclaim my ownership of food. Husband cooks nearly all the meals and I miss making things. It makes me feel like I have no desire to eat. MENTAL EXERCISE! Duolingo 15 minutes a day. Practicing German has made me happy lately. So I am going to make it a goal to try to keep it up because do more of what makes you happy right? PHYSICAL EXERCISE! Continue the run/walk streak. Also working on 21 Day Fix again. FITNESS SIDE QUEST!! Reach 200,000 Steps during this challenge. LIFE SIDE QUEST: Prevent Bunker Madness The house is driving me effing nuts. So here is to making a cleaning routine and doing something about it. Get that shit cleaned up and get things off to donation. Week 0 - Bathrooms (up and downstairs) Week 1 - Kitchen Week 2 - Bedroom Week 3 - Living Room Week 4 - Laundry Room LET’S DO THIS! This is, uh, gonna be a, uh, fascinating transition. ♪DAMNIT!♫

I'm baaaaaaack..... So so I found my fitness stride again, so here I am! I am going to give this next challenge a go with some new vigor. Also I'm going to see Panic! tonight so theme. Goal one: Keep On Going complete round two of PIIT28 This is a six day a week plan where I replace the cardio day with a run. So... 5 points a week. Goal two: IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME GO (running) run twice a week. One short run, one long run (at least until the half marathon, then a break is acceptable). 2 points a week. Goal three: No Imposter (foods) Six small balanced meals a day. Eating this way has helped me not mindlessly eat, so five to six small meals, negative points for processed foods more than twice a week. One point per day. Goal Four: Finish Scythe for Anime Detour That's all. Get crafty. Finish Melaka Fray's prop. Do it. LET'S DO THIS SHIT Goal One: 2/20 Goal Two: 0/8 Goal Three: 4/28 Goal Four: 0/1 TOTAL POINTS: 0/56

Greetings and salutations Fellow travelers! My name is Devon eh hemm I mean Doc. I am a mid 20s male. Former US Army. Sadly quite out of shape. well kinda of out of shape..... as in i can lift and carry anything i can still do pushups and pullups but I have gone from 165 lbs in the army to 250 lbs in the last 5 years. My goal is to cut down to around 190 to 210 and get back to the point where im not wheezing after running a mile. I was a medic now im a cook and a caregiver with dreams of travel and romance. But oh you want to hear about Doc, That most debonair of rogues? Well if you insist. Doc may have once been a soldier but no longer now he is a rogue for hire a bit of a fighter, an expert gambler, and masterful tactician. Doc is quick on his feet but is often overlooked because he tends to blend into the shadows with his dark leathers and soft boots. At home in forest or city Doc makes a wonderful companion who can cook a good meal as well as guard his companions. Doc gets along well with his companions but when it comes to a fight he tends to blend into the shadows until he is needed often sending a well worn dagger flying or throwing caltrops under the feet of his foes. He knows the score and at least three ways into anywhere and four ways out. In other words its a pleasure to make your acquaintance and i look forward to speaking with you all. I intend to be around awhile and hope that my meager workouts will help me and if i need help with them i can look to you all for support

Presses [reset]. Hey all! I’m Morgan. I’m a 22 year old cis!female from Minnesota who has tried several times to get healthy. I struggle with clinical depression and am currently in a really low swing, but I’m hoping that focusing on these challenges and being surrounded by community will help. The above photo on the right lists my goals for the next six weeks. I’ll be posting a journal with my current stats (weight, measurements, etc) as well as a full body shot tomorrow. Cheers! -Morgan

Main Quest: Train for Half Marathon I really, really, REALLY need a training goal. So on a whim, I decided that goal would be to train for and complete the Run the Bluegrass half marathon on April 2nd. April is the month we want to try to start a family, and so April is the month I will do that “last thing†I wanted to do before having a kid. My longest race. Goal 1: Half Marathon Training Schedule “We have now left Reason and Sanity Junction. Next stop, Looneyville.†– Bob the Skull, Grave Peril Using a 16 week training guide, I will be working through a 5 day a week program with 2 rest days. I will do my absolute best to follow this plan to a ‘T’. I’ve proven I can deal with the mental game. I’ve proven I can run 3 miles without stopping. Now, let’s hit that goal of making it through a half marathon. This 16 week program will actually end well before the race in April, but I am hoping this will help me NOT psyche myself out of it – knowing well in advance that I can do it. Goal 2: IT Band Exercises “Parkour, bitch.†– Harry Dresden, Skin Game As I discovered in my last challenge, these really helped. In preparation for the half marathon, these need to be part of the training plan. I will fit this it to the training schedule most likely on Stretch/Strength days. My goal is 2 days a week. Goal 3: Diet in Check – 21 Day Fix Model “Likest thou jelly within thy doughnut?" -Eldest Gruff and Harry, Small Favor I’ve got to get a hold on things again. I’ve felt my best when I follow the ideals behind the 21 Day Fix meal plan. I won’t be as strict as I would be if I were on the program, but I will follow the basis: For me: 2 servings of fruit (purple), 3 servings of veg (green), 1 serving of healthy fats (blue), two servings of nuts/seeds (orange), 3 servings of carbs (yellow) and 4 servings of protein (red). Every damned day. Life Side Quest: Organize the Craft Room. “I'd hate to find out that the universe really wasn't conspiring against me. It would jerk the rug out from under my persecution complex.†– Harry Dresden, Grave Peril I keep saying I don’t have time, I don’t have time, I don’t have time… but I *do*. I just need to USE my time appropriately. I want the craft room back in shape. I want the shit I’m not using brought to Goodwill. I have six weeks to do this, and it shouldn’t be that hard. Right…? I just have to stop pretending the world is against me. Sidebar: I’m thinking of selling hats and that I’ve crochted/knit to help me pay for my plane ticket, since this race is in Kentucky, and I am not. I’ll probably get around to that, and you’ll see a link eventually. It also gives me something to do at night when I’m not training/cleaning…. And a way to use up the excess yarn in the craftroom…

Aminarra, a level 2 ranger has joined new recruits for a 6 week challenge. Having already been facing challenges at home, she's ready to pass the hurdles and make some real progress. Roll a perception check... 17+Prof. 2 = 19. You smell something sweet, maybe even a little like dairy. There is grit underfoot, and you can hear a myriad of odd sounds near the floor--grunts, mostly, with a few whimpers mixed in. There's a yowling cat nearby. Do you have darkvision? Yeah, up to 60 feet. ...You see a living room cluttered with the trappings of new parenthood. Clean laundry is folded and stacked on the back of the couch, but also strewn on the cushions; a stack of folded towels has fallen onto the floor. The coffee table is a make-shift changing station on one side and a nursing station on the other. The TV is off, but you discover that the grunting and whimpering is coming from the Elfkin in a bouncing seat situated on the floor. The grit is kitty litter that the Elfkin's companion has tracked through. I add it to my quest log to clean the litter box and sweep the floor, and put away the laundry. Roll a constitution check... 12.. Your nose crinkles as you realize what the grunts of the Elfkin signified. You want to gag but you manage to hold back. I use the makeshift changing station to clean the Elfkin up and start my 6 week challenge.

My Mission: To create a maintainable fitness plan and get back to my pre-summer weight of 145. Summer is full of fun, beer festivals, and food. I have been able to stay within about 5-7 pounds of my goal weight (which I achieved back in May), but I’d like to quit making excuses and make fitness a habit again, rather than relying on my revved up metabolism to keep me in check. Kaio-Ken… TIMES TEN! (Goal 1) Workout 5x per week for 30 minutes or more. This worked out really well in my last challenge, so I am doing it again. Instead of feeling pigeon holed in one program, having the ability to realize it’s gorgeous out and I’d rather go for a bike ride is important to me staying on track. It brings the enjoyment back to fitness again. And that will keep me stable much longer than feeling trapped by constraints. I would like to work toward a balance of cardio and weights while training for a 10 mile in October. It’s Over 9000! (Life Quest) Continue paying off credit card debt and saving for the future. With plans for baby on the horizon, this is getting even more serious and more important. Goals this go around will be: - Pay $100 off on both credit cards per month ($100 a pay period to one card, and then $100 to the other the next pay period). - Put $100 per pay period into a savings account - Cut back $150 allowance per paycheck to $100 and LIVE WITHIN THAT RANGE. It’s okay to say no. You’re so totally allocated right now. Get used to it. KAKAROOOOOOT!!!!! (Goal 2) Core work 3x per week You've got to have a strong core to do all the yelling Vegeta does... And I need a strong core because I don't really have one. I plan to try to get 10 Min Abs in 3x per week, or supplement with other core workouts. Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth, Shenron (Side Quest) One Cleaning Project a Week I can’t gather Dragon Balls and wish my house clean. Believe me, I've tried. I’m starting a list of projects I will work on throughout each week to slowly chip away at all the projects I need to take care of that have been driving me NUTS. Take garage sale labels off of four boxes of books to bring them to Half Price Books for resale. Finish revamping and organizing the craft room. Take donation boxes in the garage to Good Will Organize brewing kit (under stairwell and in sunroom) Clean the freaking master bedroom already! Complete ALL laundry in the laundry room and put it all away. Buu Turn You Into CANDY! (Goal 3) Eat out only once per week and stay as clean as humanly possible. I realize I can’t eat clean 100% of the time, and that some restaurants are pretty clean as is. I want to be as aware of what I choose to put in my body as possible. My goal remains the same from last challenge -- one meal out per week.

This challenge ends during my next convention, so it lines up pretty perfectly with some of my goals to get back in shape and make progress on costumes. Here we go. Let's do this. For real this time... cause something has to work, eventually, right? Dauntless – I Am Brave We believe in ordinary acts of bravery; the courage to drive one person to stand up for another. I am going to be less hard on myself. I always say I will do “x†program for this challenge. I’m getting a little workout ADD, so I want to just say that I will workout 30 minutes or more 5x a week. It can be biking, yoga, running, one of my many home programs, WHATEVER. My goal is to work toward doing push-ups on my toes, so I will try to incorporate push-ups every day, but the focus will really be on just MOVING 5x a week and increasing my strength. Candor – I Am Honest Truth makes us transparent. Truth makes us strong. I’ve been unwise with money this year. I’ve paid off my credit cards only to hike them back up again. I have $1,500 to pay off and I need to pay it off fast. I want to be done with credit cards because it is becoming more and more obvious to me that I can’t use them responsibly. They make it too easy to spend money I don’t have because it doesn’t seem tangible. Money isn’t a thing anymore, it’s the swipe of a card and a worry for tomorrow. As I try to get more into the mindset of setting myself up to start a family, this can’t be the case anymore. My goal is to pay my debt down by half by the end of this challenge. That’s $750 between three cards. I can do that. If I do more, great… but the goal should be realistic and attainable, so we’re starting with just half. Erudite – I Am Intelligent Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict. I know that I need to slow down my social life and focus on getting ‘me’ things done 3x a week. I will have two tasks under this category and every time I work on either of them, I will count it as a success. I want to make progress on my cousin’s baby blanket (knitting). I want to complete my Princess Bubblegum gown in time for MetaCon on September 4th. These things are stimulation for ME. It’s me time, and time for my brain to recoup and regenerate without feeling like I’m being pulled in 100 directions to do other things. Amity – I Am Peaceful Trust, Self-Sufficiency, Kindness, Forgiveness, Involvement. This portion of my challenge will explore yoga and stretching 5x a week. Let’s be honest. I am not flexible – especially in my hips. It may sound crazy but sometime in the next 18ish months, I’d like to think I’ll be squeezing a tiny human out of there, so it’s time to suck it up and work on the hips and hammies. I plan to combat this by working through stretches that prepare the body for doing splits. I have several places of reference for making my hammie and hips more flexible: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Do-Splits-3551904#photo-3552999 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZTGgEWPbLk And Cheech’s famous Hip Openers http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/50130-side-quest-3-put-your-hips-into-it/ http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/hip-enough/ Abnegation – I Am Selfless I will become my undoing if I become my obsession. This is going to be a stretch, but for Abnegation, I am going to be selfless by treating my body like a sanctuary again. I’ve gotten back into processed foods, lots of coffee, and quick meals out, but I need to practice more discipline or I will be my own undoing. For this challenge, I am allowed ONE meal out per week and ONE cup of coffee a day. If I don’t use it, it doesn’t pile up. If I don’t use it, it’s gone. This, in theory, will stop me from stockpiling them to have one week where I just slack off and eat out every day.

Lots of Twin Cities folks on here *waves*, but not seeing many from "up at the cabin"! Let's include everything within a 15 to 20 mile radius of Brainerd/Baxter: say Garrison to the east, Motley to the west, Pine River to the north and Little Falls to the south as a rough estimate. So who's out here in the playground of Minnesota with me?

Trogdor was a man… I mean, he was a dragon man! Or maybe he was just a dragon… But he was still TROGDOR! MAIN QUEST: Build Better Arms I have a shoulder injury. I have weak upper body strength. I want to be able to do push-ups without being on my knees. I just want to be stronger, in general. My arms also wouldn’t mind looking all sexy and toned like. That’s going to be a pleasant side effect. The goal is to focus on my arms with the new resistance bands I got, as well as getting in my cardio Goal 1: Burninating the Countryside… I’ve long wanted to do some Neila Ray workouts, so this is finally the time. I’m between programs, nothing is inspiring me… so let’s just play a bit, shall we? Monday – Buffy Workout Tuesday – Catwoman Workout Wednesday – Night’s Watch Workout Thursday – Harley Quinn Workout Friday – Mocking Jay Workout Saturday – Hold My Beer Workout Sunday - Rest Goal 2: Burninating the Peasants… I am partaking in the Great Cycle Challenge - an amazing fundraiser for the organization I work for. I bought a bike... I set a goal... I hope to fundraise to meet my modest little goal of $500 to support leading edge research to help treat and cure pediatric cancer. If you can, I'd love your support! My goal is to ride 100 miles in June. We'll be 8 days in at the start of the challenge, but no worries. I haven't ridden a bike in over five years... so 100 miles in June will certainly be a challenge. It's fantastic cardio, though! I'm really excited about this one. Goal 3: Burninating All the Peoples… Build an arm workout plan with resistance bands… and then do it. This is TBD right now. I'll update with the actual plan soon. Life Side Quest: And Their Thatched-Roof Cottages! Duolingo 3 nights a week for 30 minutes for German for a stronger BRAIN! I have been losing so much of my German that I need to do something. I'm going to start light with Duolingo and then hopefully this will get me back on track to use my Rosetta Stone again (level 4). I don't want to lose my language skill. I love Germany! I love the language! I am such a Germanophile it isn't funny. I own three dirndls, for Pete's sake! This will be all kinds of good for my brain.

Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer. I am starting this battle log after reading an article that is really hitting home for me right now. It’s called The After Myth and as I approach my goal weight, I now fully understand… there is no after. There is… No after. None. At 146 pounds I am still unhappy with my body most days. I don’t like what I see. The days I do like myself are starting to grow, which is good… but I had this idea in my head 30 pounds ago that a number would spontaneously make me start loving myself again. Nope. There is still so much more to work on. A number is just a thing. It isn’t value or self-acceptance. It isn’t going to get me a job or make me win or lose friends. It isn’t going to tell anyone any more about me than a fleeting glance would. What I need to work on now is ME. I am cookie dough, hear me roar. With the tools I have gained in the last year, it’s time to work on becoming cookies.

Come join Nerd Fitness, MN as we race to Beat the Blerch. Potluck picnic to follow after a fun 5k around Lake Phalen. Bring any friends and family who want to join us, and if you want to award yourself, be sure to pick up your virtual race kit from the Oatmeal! (http://www.beattheblerch.com/#virtual) September 26th at Lake Phalen park (subject to change if there happens to be an event there) I’d love to have some games to keep spouses and kids occupied while we have our fun run. If you want to to a 10k, you can either pre-log 3.1 miles prior to race day, or run the lake twice. Conveniently, it is a 3.1 mile trail! Want to track your miles to accumulate a 10k, half, or full marathon? I will create a tracking sheet so you can proudly know you did it! **NOTE** This is a free, fun event. Buy the race kit if you want it. Don't if you don't! This is also NOT an official Nerd Fitness event... but rather a meet up for folks from Nerd Fitness, in Minnesota... and all of their friends and family who want to get out and enjoy the day! Want to keep up to date on Facebook? Friend me and I'll add you to our event! (https://www.facebook.com/katiejmoller)

Note: I am starting this week because it fits the timeline of my other goals better. Deal with it Those who have followed me before know I've been struggling with focus. It's like I made it from Caterpie to Metapod but then I just got stuck. I'd like to be a Butterfree again. I'd like to make it through this plateau and through this challenge without falling off the face of the planet. So I'm setting some goals I know I can achieve because I have been planning on them for awhile and I'm finally determine. I think. Main Quest: Lose 4% of my total starting body weight (152lbs) I need to lose 6.08 pounds to lose 4% of my current body weight. I can do this. It is entirely possible. I have been stuck on the plateau for too long, so I threw some skin in the game and joined Shaun T's DietBet challenge. I am hoping that the $30 buy in is enough to motivate me into really pushing myself these next 4 weeks. Goal One: Complete the 21 Day Fix I am leading and participating in a challenge group for the 21 Day Fix. It's both meal and workout focused and I need that. I need to do both in tandem. It seems like when I do one really well, the other suffers, so here is to daily workouts for 21 Days and daily meal plans. Goal Two: Follow the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan There is going to be temptation to sway off the 21 Day Fix meal plan I have spent many hours creating for myself. I will not do it. I won't. I can't. Our grocery bill is going to be higher these next 3 weeks and I need to do right by our finances and right by my determination to stay on track and eat what I say I am going to eat. No extra snacks, no skipping my meal for a treat at work... I got this. Goal Three: Core Work 3x Per Week I have a little vanity goal for CONVergence and that is to wear my Launch (Dragon Ball) costume without feeling shy. That means I need to focus on getting that ab work done so my tummy tightens enough to feel comfortable walking around half naked Life Side Quest: Finish a Book Self explanatory. I don't take enough time to read lately. I play DCUO and Summoners War and think about reading. I will finish Scarlett (Lunar Chronicles book 2) before the end of this challenge.

Terminus: Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive. Main Goal: Complete a full 6 week challenge. This has been my main struggle lately, so I am going to continue to focus on just finishing one damned challenge again. It's small. It's simple. It's measurable. I am determined to get something right for once. I'm Doing Stuff... Things... Goal: Complete the 6 week 100 push up challenge. Three days a week, work the sets. My objective is to get off my knees and start doing "real" push ups. Little Ass-Kicker Goal: I don't care what program I do, but I need to break a sweat three times a week. Five has been hard lately. I've been able to keep my calories in control, but I need to break a sweat three times a week. Les Mills COMBAT, PUMP, and even ChaLEAN Extreme or P90x3 when Beachbody On Demand starts next week. Don't care. Just get sweaty. I Hear Nebraska is Nice: Goal: Stretching. It's becoming more and more apparent to me that I need to stretch my hips and shoulders regularly. Desk job is ruining my back and legs and I need to get that mobility and flexibility back. This can be a formal class, a stretch routine, or the 30 Day Yoga Challenge. Don't care. Just stretch. Because it feels so dang good. Spaghetti Tuesdays on Wednesday Goal: Meal planning and tracking.. It's become super obvious to me that I eat better when I track. TwoGrand and MyFitnessPal have been great apps and being able to SEE I am not having enough veg/fruit/fat whatever is really helping me plan my meals better. I try to have a small breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. We're going to try to keep that up and log everything for 6 weeks. People in Hell Want Slurpees Goal: Get a small project around the house done three times a week before you sit on your butt all night. It can be laundry. Cleaning the cat boxes. Taking care of the hall closest that badly need re-sorting. It can even be vacuuming. Just do it. Winter is making you too lazy and you need to get the house back in a functioning order.

Hey, I'm kristing! I'm currently a medical student in snowy and freezing Minnesota and I'm working on getting my health back on track. In a previous life, I was a competitive swimmer and soccer player. Life Quest: Get weight to 135 lbs Goals: 1) Do strength training thrice per week (I'm using the Stronglifts system right now, and am in my 6th week) http://stronglifts.com 2) Eat according to the Whole30 system for 30 days starting in one week to get prepared (aka, eat good healthy stuff) http://whole30.com 3) Get to sleep before 10pm and wake up by 6am Bonus Goal: Read a devotional every night and pray before sleeping Grading: 1) 3x training * 6 weeks = 18 days ==> A = 16+, B = 14, C = 12, D = 10, E = 9 2) 30 days ==> A = 27 B = 24, C = 21, D = 18, E = 15 (tracking food with MFP) 3) 6 weeks = 42 days ==> A = 37+, B = 33, C = 29, D = 25, E = 21 Motivation: I want to be a good role model, for both my family and my future patients. I also want to feel better (and look hawt) That's all for now!

THE QUEST: Into Every Generation, A Slayer is Born To see this challenge through to completion for the first time in three challenges. That's a quest, right? Cause that's my quest. GOAL: I'm Not Done Baking Yet. I need to not be so hard on myself. I need to treat this challenge like a fitness journal. I need to not pull away when things get hard. I need to figure me out so that I quit getting in my own way. I need to turn from cookie dough into cookies. GOAL: It Must Be Really Hard When All Your Friends Have, Like, Superpowers. I work a desk job. I also have hobbies that require me to sit a lot (hey, if anyone knows how to jog and knit, let me know!). This means my hips are ALWAYS super tight. My hamstrings hate me. My shoulders aren’t big fans of my hours are a desk, either. I NEED to work on my flexibility in these areas to not only improve my range of motion in programs like Les Mills COMBAT, but to attack and undo the damage of 10 years in a desk job. It’s been said that people age most gracefully when they workout and are flexible. I need that. I need to work on my super powers. GOAL: I Mock You With My Monkey Pants I have completed two Beachbody programs and I have many more in my library. I may never do them to completion, but I have them for when I am in the mood for something different. After completing two programs, I still have my “trouble areasâ€. My hips and lower abs are SO stubborn! I am taking on Brazil Butt Lift to work on those areas for 30 days with a group of ladies who all want the same thing. Then... I will mock you all with my sexy monkey pants. LIFE SIDE QUEST: The Dance of Capitalist Superiority. Pay off my credit card debt by the end of this challenge. This one may seem pretty darn obvious when it comes to the WHY part, but I’ll still explain. I tend to have somewhere between $400-700 on my credit card and I just chip away at it. In the meantime, something comes up and I am between paychecks, so I just slap it on my card, undoing the payment I just made. My goal this year is to pay it off, then start seriously saving money. If I didn’t have to pay my credit card bill every month, our family savings account would be in MUCH better shape. And I’ll just say it. I want to start a family. Not today. Not tomorrow. But sometime in the next year, I’d like to seriously consider it, and the idea of having a non-furnished savings account going into that just freaks me out and keeps me from even considering it. I want to be able to take care of the things in our home that need fixing. I want to be able to start a family. I can’t do that if I keep living outside my means. Now the HOW. This is the toughy. I have some personal savings I have set aside. My “fun money†for trips and other things. I am going to have to give that up and put it toward this debt if I want to seriously tackle this goal. I will use all my “extra†money from January to March to pay off the debt until it is gone. Then I’m done. I’m done with interest, payments, and not being able to save HEALTH SIDE QUEST: Out. For. A. Walk... Bitch. Cold weather running, here I come. I want to log 24 miles of running in this challenge. That's pretty light, considering it's just four miles a week. That's two runs a week. I bought the ColdGear. I have the equipment... And even if it's a slow shamble, I'm going to do it. I have a goal of 5 races this year and one is in March. Time to get training... since I haven't run since September.

...You see what I did there? With the title? And the theme...? I think I deserve a pat on the back. Go ahead. Pat me. For this challenge, I return to the Rangers, simply because my focus isn’t solely on martial arts this go. I have a bit of variety planned, and the Rangers were who I started with, and where my heart belongs <3 MAIN QUEST Boost my personal confidence and build muscles while reducing my daily stress levels to encourage a healthy overall change to my health and mind. Goal 1 Complete 3 Les Mills COMBAT workouts a week. The hubs and I will workout together 3 days a week with COMBAT. I will focus on my form, particularly with my kicks, where I continue to struggle. Goal 2 Track daily for 6 weeks in My Fitness Pal. I will log in every day and log what I eat to the best of my ability, working toward increasing my protein intake and reducing my carb intake. Goal 3 Complete 3 Les Mills PUMP workouts a week. This is where it gets hard. I have to be a self-motivator again, as I will be doing PUMP on my own three days a week. It so much easier when the hubs comes home and says “LET’S DO THIS!†than when I come home and say “Oooh, yay!! Couch!†SIDE QUESTS Life I need to find things to keep my ass off the couch as winter approaches. Because… Winter Is Coming. I have a few tasks I want to complete as life goals in this quest – I want to go through my closet and remove what I don’t wear and donate it. I want to reorganize the kitchen cupboards. I want to do a basic cleaning of my house every Sunday. If those three things are accomplished in these six weeks, my life side quest will be complete. Fitness I’ve got PUMP and COMBAT covered, but I want to also work on Hoop Dance more than just the one day a week I attend class. My goal will be simple. To have ONE additional day a week that I take the time to practice what we learned in class each week. This might get hard, since I have low ceilings and it is getting cold outside, but I will do my best to at least practice turns and isolations. MOTIVATION My motivation… is me. It sounds odd, but I started losing my confidence in myself in the last month or two. It was going so well. I was losing weight, building muscle and I felt awesome! But it was important for me, I think, to realize that those things didn’t make me a better or worse person. Having gusto and determination and a good heart filled with positive energy do… and I build all of that up through working on my physical self to that I can vibrate that on a more – dare I say – spiritual level. My motivation is believing in myself. That I can, and I WILL, do what I put my mind to.

Does anyone hail from North-eastern Minnesota? I'm living snugly in the Iron Range (more specifically, Virginia, MN), and I'm curious to see who else lives close by.

Our story begins a long time ago, in a turn-based, text-based, role playing game called Vagabond's quest... TL;DR And ends, 12 years later, with me married to another gamer and expecting our first child together. When I joined The Rebellion, I was looking to lose weight, but the reality is that I'm 28 years old, the proverbial 'clock' scares the dickens out of me, and I told The Hubster that I'd either be at my goal weight or be a mother within a year. In my first challenge with The Rebellion, I actually lost about 8 pounds! I had busted through my first goal of 6 pounds and came out on top. I've been away for a while, dealing with this new and different experience, and now I'm returning about 7 or so weeks into my pregnancy. My main challenges have been Lack of sleepheartburnlack of appetite(followed by) roaring appetiteI've been walking quite a bit, and plan to keep that up. I was just getting into strength training in earnest and so I plan to keep going with that as long as it still feels good. Since I'm overweight by so much that my BMI is a concern for my doctor, my goal is to not gain any more than 15 lbs throughout the course of this pregnancy. I have *no idea* how I'm going to manage that, but I'm going to try everything I know about traditional weight loss to accomplish it. My home scale before the pregnancy was 238. My home scale now reads 240. The doctor's scale had me at 243 at my first check up back on 7/21. Now that you know the back story, let's get down to the battle log, eh? Primary Objective: Have a Healthy Pregnancy Walk >20 Minutes, Daily Strength Train 3x/week Continue with Paleo Plan Secondary Objective: Stay Active with Nerd Fitness Check in to chat rooms at least once/week update this thread daily motivate 3+ NF members/week

Hello, Monks. This long time Ranger is reassessing and taking on more of a martial arts goal set, so I come to you as a first timer. Pretty nifty, right? I think so. Main Goal: Complete Les Mills COMBAT and take the steps toward joining my husband at his MMA gym. MOTIVATION: Tell me more good stuff about me! Realizing that one bad day isn’t going to suddenly destroy all my progress, or that one unmotivated workout is still better than not working out at all will be key. I need to take that negative ‘you can’t do this’ mentality and kick it out of my life. Fitness and health is very much a mental game as well as a physical. I am human. I have only one life. I need to make the most of it while I am here to enjoy it. He'll join us after he wins the duel. Goal Three: Les Mills COMBAT 5 days a week. The primary reason I’ve switched to a monk class this challenge is because of COMBAT. I am loving the stress relief, the discipline in the mind and body… I am suddenly not nearly as afraid of going to Warrior’s Cove with my husband. I want to. I want to work the bags and get in there. My confidence will only grow if I keep up with the in home workouts so I don’t feel so lost in class. Plus… this program is makin’ my body look like and shiny. Who doesn’t love great legs, killer shoulders, and the start of abs? (1 point for each workout, 30 points possible) …And there's some kind of hot cheese over there. Goal One: Stay within caloric goals for 6 out of 7 days a week. This has been tough for me lately. We’ve been a bit indulgent, but the 3-Day Refresh helped me figure out meal spacing and sizing in a way I think I can maintain without feeling deprived. This challenge will test that. (1 point for each successful day, 36 points possible) Yes, sir, Cap'n Tight-Pants. Goal Two: PiYo Once a Week. Let’s unwind so those pants ain’t so tight. PiYo is a yoga, Pilates, strength, stretching hybrid type program. I love yoga and need it quite a bit to keep my muscles from being to wonky after all that punching and kicking. If I can’t get I a PiYo, I’ll accept attending my friend’s yoga class! (1 point for each workout, 6 points possible) Don't ride in anything with a Capissen 38 engine. They fall right out of the sky. Life Quest: Finish the "Craft Room" The craft room has been the bane of my existence, like I am certain the Capissen 38 is for any ship mechanic. It's just a junk room. My life quest will be to work on cleaning this room to convert it to a craft room/workout room as I had originally planned to do... when we moved in two years ago Personal Assessment Scoring Weekly Grading: 11-12 A 10 B 9 C 8 D 0-7 F Week One: 11 points (A) Week Two: 11 points (A) Overall Challenge Grade: 62-69 A 55-61 B 48-60 C 41-47 D 0-40 F

Highly suggest anyone looking for a sandbag to check out Lindon Fitness & the Wreck Bag. Just used these in an OCR race in MA and they're great! So great, I ordered a 50# to ship out to MN where I live. No sand inside the bag (propriatary mix), softer, easier to carry and extremely durable. Check 'em out http://www.lindonfitness.com/ My profile pic gives an idea of how they look when you're carrying it (and how I look when I have my "fun pain" face on

Main Quest: Ready myself for the races. Run twice a week. I have four races coming up this year. I am actually doing well, all things considered. I haven’t run since January, and since October before that, and I was able to kill a mile in 13:41. My best yet. The goal is to keep training. I want to see a 13 minute mile, straight by the end of the season! (2 points per run) T25 6 days a week. A huge factor in my motivation lately has been the progress I’ve seen with Focus T25. I’m down in inches, I’m down in weight, and I’m feeling pretty stellar. The goal here is to keep that motivation and run with it. It’s a great cardio workout as well as muscular workout, so this will be my gym for the next 6 weeks (and then some). (1 point per workout) Shakeology DAILY. I have been a morning shake drinker for years, and now I’ve got Shakeo. I’m frankly loving the stuff, and I can tell when I’m not having it. This is my diet side. I need that nutrition, daily. The nutrients keep me running and jumping and skipping and smiling and they motivate me to stay away from the other crap. Plus, this stuff has killed my cravings for junk, so I don’t crave that McDonald’s or Cheeto reward anymore… Gotta keep that up for sure. (1 point per day) Side Quests: Life – Get organized I am sick of thinking I’ll get that craft room organized tomorrow. It’s always tomorrow. No – it’s going to be today. I am going to get those boxes sorted and ready for good will. I am going to set up my old computer to make an office/yoga space. I will post weekly progress shots. (0 points for nothing. 5 points for part way. 25 points for completion) Fitness – Get back into yoga I love my aquafit class, but I miss yoga. With T25, I have seen increased flexibility in my legs, but my hips are still a HUGE issue. This goal will be focused around my HIPS specifically. I need to do yoga 3 days a week, but I will be happy with one. A class at my gym – my friend’s class – online videos… It needs to happen. I will post a starting shot of my hip flexibility and we will measure progress by the end of the six weeks! My goal is to work on three specific positions: Frog, Pigeon, and King Pigeon. (1 point per yoga work out, 3 points max per week) And last but not least… My motivation is… My progress. I am finally seeing some, so I’ll be damned if I let it slide!

I admit I'm never very good at these things. But I'm still here, so that counts for something... Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me during my failures here at Nerd Fitness. You keep me coming back for more. --- Body Workshop A body I've built myself. A better, stronger me. Parcourse once a week. Gym three times a week. C25k three times a week. Mind Workshop A mind to withstand all that is thrown at it...even that within. Read and finish one self-improvement book during the challenge period. Learn something new (juggling, no excuses). Practice meditation, nightly if possible. Soul Workshop A soul that forgives and accepts. Pay it forward once a week. Practice self-forgiveness. SUPPORT MY FRIENDS IN THEIR CHALLENGES.

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Camp Titan: Radioactive When: Saturday, August 2, 2014 Time: Start at 9:00 am Where: Buck Hill Ski Resort 15400 Buck Hill Road Burnsville, MN 55306 Registration opens February 15, 2014 This is a three mile challenge run with water, mud and obstacles that will have you running up and down Buck Hill. Last year they went up and down it 6 time. It looks like it will be a blast and would love to get a group of nerds together to do this. If you want more info about it, here is the link to their site: Camp Titan Let me know if you are wanting to join, I can register us as a team.